System and method for automatically answering a call on a communication device

ABSTRACT

A system and method for answering a call on a communication device is provided and includes: detecting an incoming call on the communication device, automatically answering the incoming call, and detecting whether an audio signal is received through the microphone of the communication device. Upon not detecting an audio signal, the call is disconnected.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following relates to systems and methods for automatically answeringa call on a communication device.

BACKGROUND

Telephones are used for real-time remote verbal communication. Recently,with the popularity of mobile communication devices such as mobiletelephones or smartphones, users have been able to perform an activitysuch as driving or walking concurrently while having a phoneconversation. Traditionally, during a telephone conversation, the useris required to hold a handset including a microphone and a speaker withthe speaker adjacent to the user's ear. Some activities require the useof both hands and hence, traditional operation of a mobile device may bedifficult or dangerous.

More recently, communication headsets including a microphone and anearpiece have been introduced and can be worn during activities such asdriving, allowing a user to communicate over a mobile device withoutrequiring the user to manually hold the device to the ear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described by way of example only with referenceto the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example system in whichdata items are pushed from a host system to a mobile device.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a mobile device.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an example communication headset incommunication with a mobile device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating examples of the other softwareapplications and components shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for automatically answering a phone call.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram similar to FIG. 4 illustrating example computerexecutable instructions for automatically answering a phone call after apre-determined period of time upon detecting the call.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for a communication device showing the method for ending acall upon not detecting a voice.

FIG. 7 is the flow diagram of FIG. 6 further illustrating examplecomputer executable instructions for disabling the automatic answeringfeature upon ending a pre-determined number of calls.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for automatically answering a call only if a communicationsheadset is in communication with a communications device.

FIG. 9 is a screenshot of an example graphical user interface (GUI) thatallows a user to enable the automatic answering feature to answer a callaccording to certain criteria.

FIG. 10 is a screenshot similar to FIG. 9 showing an example embodimentof the automatic answering feature being enabled to answer a call fiveseconds after detecting the call and if a communications headset isconnected.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for overriding the use of a communications headset, whichis in communication with a mobile device, upon receiving an incomingcall.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for automatically answering a call that provides anindication to the user that an incoming call has been detected and theautomatic answering feature is enabled.

FIG. 13 is the flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions of FIG. 12 wherein the indication is an audible tone.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for notifying the user after an incoming call is detectedthat the auto-answer feature is not enabled.

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for providing the user a visual indication and an audibleindication that the auto-answer feature is enabled before automaticallyanswering the call.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a visualindication on a communication device including an on-screen message andillumination of an indicator light that is provided after a call isdetected if the auto-answer feature is enabled.

FIGS. 17 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for providing the user with the option to disable theauto-answer feature upon detection of an incoming call.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overrideoption shown with an indication similar to FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for selectively enabling the automatic answering featuredepending on the velocity of the mobile device.

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for selectively enabling the automatic answering featuredepending on the motion measured by the mobile device's sensors.

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for selectively enabling the automatic answering featuredepending on the location of the mobile device.

FIG. 22 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for selectively enabling the automatic answering featuredepending on the caller's profile settings.

FIG. 23 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for selectively enabling the automatic answering featuredepending on the recipient's calendar appointments.

FIG. 24 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for selectively enabling the automatic answering featuredepending on whether the recipient is roaming.

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram illustrating example computer executableinstructions for disabling the automatic answering feature while therecipient is on a call.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated amongthe figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Inaddition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein.However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the artthat the example embodiments described herein may be practiced withoutthese specific details. In other instances, well-known methods,procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not toobscure the example embodiments described herein. Also, the descriptionis not to be considered as limiting the scope of the example embodimentsdescribed herein.

When a user of a communication device receives a call, typically theuser is required to abandon the activity in which he is engaged orotherwise reduce his attention towards the activity to accept a call bypushing a button. In the case of a person with a physical injury ordisability, the user may have difficulty in answering a phone or may bephysically unable to respond to an incoming call. It has been realizedthat when a user's ability to answer a call is hindered by an activityor a disability, an improved method of answering a call is needed.

In the following, methods and systems are provided to automaticallyanswer a call on a communication device. The user may be engaged in anactivity such as driving a vehicle, jogging, or otherwise unable tomanually answer the call. The system automatically answers the call forthe user, obviating the need for the user to push a button or intervenein any other way to accept the incoming call. It will be appreciatedthat although the following examples are provided in the context of amobile device, the principles discussed herein are equally applicable toother communication devices, for example conventional telephones orvoice over IP telephones.

The following examples include communications between mobile or handhelddevices, which will be referred to as mobile devices hereinafter andreferred to by numeral 10.

The mobile device 10 can be a two-way communication device with advanceddata communication capabilities including the capability to communicatewith other mobile devices 10 or computer systems through a network oftransceiver stations. The mobile device 10 may also have the capabilityto allow voice communication. Depending on the functionality provided bythe mobile device 10, it may be referred to as a data messaging device,a two-way pager, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities,a wireless Internet appliance, or a data communication device (with orwithout telephony capabilities). The mobile device 10 can also be onethat is used in a system that is configured for continuously routing allforms of pushed information from a host system 25 to the mobile device10. One example of such a system will now be described making referenceto FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is an example system diagram showing the redirection of user dataitems (such as message A or C) from a corporate enterprise computersystem (host system) 25 to the user's mobile device 10 via a wirelessrouter 26. The wireless router 26 provides the wireless connectivityfunctionality as it acts to both abstract most of the wireless network's20 complexities, and it also implements features necessary to supportpushing data to the mobile device 10. Although not shown, a plurality ofmobile devices may access data from the host system 25. In this example,message A in FIG. 1 represents an internal message sent from, e.g. adesktop computer (not shown) within the host system 25, to any number ofserver computers in the corporate network (e.g. LAN), which may, ingeneral, include a database server, a calendar server, an E-mail serveror a voice-mail server.

Message C in FIG. 1 represents an external message from a sender that isnot directly connected to the host system 25, such as the user's mobiledevice 10, some other user's mobile device (not shown), or any userconnected to the public or private network 24 (e.g. the Internet).Message C could be e-mail, voice-mail, calendar information, databaseupdates, web-page updates or could even represent a command message fromthe user's mobile device 10 to the host system 25. The host system 25may include, along with the typical communication links, hardware andsoftware associated with a corporate enterprise computer network system,one or more wireless mobility agents, a TCP/IP connection, a collectionof data stores, (for example a data store for e-mail could be anoff-the-shelf mail server like Microsoft Exchange® Server or LotusNotes® Server), all within and behind a corporate firewall.

The mobile device 10 may be adapted for communication within wirelessnetwork 20 via wireless links, as required by each wireless network 20being used. As an illustrative example of the operation for a wirelessrouter 26 shown in FIG. 1, consider a data item A, repackaged in outerenvelope B (the packaged data item A now referred to as “data item (A)”)and sent to the mobile device 10 from an Application Service Provider(ASP) in the host system 25. Within the ASP is a computer program,similar to a wireless mobility agent, running on any computer in theASP's environment that is sending requested data items from a data storeto a mobile device 10. The mobile-destined data item (A) is routedthrough the network 24, and through the wireless router's 26 firewallprotecting the wireless router 26 (not shown).

Although the above describes the host system 25 as being used within acorporate enterprise network environment, this is just one exampleembodiment of one type of host service that offers push-based messagesfor a handheld wireless device that is capable of notifying andpresenting the data to the user in real-time at the mobile device whendata arrives at the host system.

By offering a wireless router 26 (sometimes referred to as a “relay”,“message server”, “data redirector”, etc.), there are a number of majoradvantages to both the host system 25 and the wireless network 20. Thehost system 25 in general runs a host service that is considered to beany computer program that is running on one or more computer systems.The host service is said to be running on a host system 25, and one hostsystem 25 can support any number of host services. A host service may ormay not be aware of the fact that information is being channelled tomobile devices 10. For example an e-mail or message program 138 (seeFIG. 2A) might be receiving and processing e-mail while an associatedprogram (e.g. an e-mail wireless mobility agent) is also monitoring themailbox for the user and forwarding or pushing the same e-mail to awireless device 10. A host service might also be modified to preparedand exchange information with mobile devices 10 via the wireless router26, like customer relationship management software. In a third example,there might be a common access to a range of host services. For examplea mobility agent might offer a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) connectionto several databases.

Although the system is exemplified as operating in a two-waycommunications mode, certain aspects of the system could be used in a“one and one-half” or acknowledgment paging environment, or even with aone-way paging system. In such limited data messaging environments, thewireless router 26 still could abstract the mobile device 10 andwireless network 20, offer push services to standard web-based serversystems and allow a host service in a host system 25 to reach the mobiledevice 10 in many countries.

The host system 25 shown herein can have many methods when establishinga communication link to the wireless router 26. For one skilled in theart of data communications the host system 25 could use connectionprotocols like TCP/IP, X.25, Frame Relay, ISDN, ATM or many otherprotocols to establish a point-to-point connection. Over this connectionthere are several tunnelling methods available to package and send thedata, some of these include: HTTP/HTML, HTTP/XML, HTTP/Proprietary, FTP,SMTP or some other proprietary data exchange protocol. The type of hostsystems 25 that might employ the wireless router 26 to perform pushcould include: field service applications, e-mail services, stock quoteservices, banking services, stock trading services, field salesapplications, advertising messages and many others. This wirelessnetwork 20 abstraction is made possible by the wireless router 26, whichimplements this routing and push functionality. The type ofuser-selected data items being exchanged by the host could include:E-mail messages, calendar events, meeting notifications, addressentries, journal entries, personal alerts, alarms, warnings, stockquotes, news bulletins, bank account transactions, field serviceupdates, stock trades, heart-monitoring information, vending machinestock levels, meter reading data, GPS data, etc., but could,alternatively, include any other type of message that is transmitted tothe host system 25, or that the host system 25 acquires through the useof intelligent agents, such as data that is received after the hostsystem 25 initiates a search of a database or a website or a bulletinboard.

The wireless router 26 provides a range of services to make creating apush-based host service possible. These networks may include: (1) theCode Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, (2) the Groupe SpecialMobile or the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and theGeneral Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and (3) the existing and upcomingthird-generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) networks like EDGE,UMTS and HSDPA, LTE, Wi-Max etc. Some older examples of data-centricnetworks include, but are not limited to: (1) the Mobitex Radio Network(“Mobitex”) and (2) the DataTAC Radio Network (“DataTAC”).

To be effective in providing push services for host systems 25, thewireless router 26 may implement a set of defined functions. It can beappreciated that one could select many different hardware configurationsfor the wireless router 26; however, many of the same or similar set offeatures would likely be present in the different configurations.

An example configuration for the mobile device 10 is illustrated inFIGS. 2A and 3. Referring first to FIG. 2A, shown therein is a blockdiagram of an example embodiment of a mobile device 10. The mobiledevice 10 includes a number of components such as a main processor 102that controls the overall operation of the mobile device 10.Communication functions, including data and voice communications, areperformed through a communication subsystem 104. The communicationsubsystem 104 receives messages from and sends messages to a wirelessnetwork 20. In this example embodiment of the mobile device 10, thecommunication subsystem 104 is configured in accordance with the GSM andGPRS standards, which are used worldwide. Other communicationconfigurations that are equally applicable are the 3G and 4G networksdiscussed above. New standards are still being defined, but it isbelieved that they will have similarities to the network behaviourdescribed herein, and it will also be understood by persons skilled inthe art that the example embodiments described herein are intended touse any other suitable standards that are developed in the future. Thewireless link connecting the communication subsystem 104 with thewireless network 20 represents one or more different Radio Frequency(RF) channels, operating according to defined protocols specified forGSM/GPRS communications.

The main processor 102 also interacts with additional subsystems such asa Random Access Memory (RAM) 106, a flash memory 108, a display 110, anauxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 112, a data port 114, a keyboard116, an accelerometer 117, a gyroscope 119, a speaker 118, a microphone120, a GPS receiver 121, short-range communications 122, an indicatorlight 123, and other device subsystems 124. As will be discussed below,the short-range communications 122 can implement any suitable ordesirable device-to-device or peer-to-peer communications protocolcapable of communicating at a relatively short range, e.g. directly fromone device to another. Examples include Bluetooth®, ad-hoc WiFi,infrared, or any “long-range” protocol re-configured to utilizeavailable short-range components. It will therefore be appreciated thatshort-range communications 122 may represent any hardware, software orcombination of both that enable a communication protocol to beimplemented between devices or entities in a short range scenario, suchprotocol being standard or proprietary.

Some of the subsystems of the mobile device 10 performcommunication-related functions, whereas other subsystems may provide“resident” or on-device functions. By way of example, the display 110and the keyboard 116 may be used for both communication-relatedfunctions, such as entering a text message for transmission over thenetwork 20, and device-resident functions such as a calculator or tasklist.

The mobile device 10 can send and receive communication signals over thewireless network 20 after required network registration or activationprocedures have been completed. Network access is associated with asubscriber or user of the mobile device 10. To identify a subscriber,the mobile device 10 may use a subscriber module component or “smartcard” 126, such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Removable UserIdentity Module (RUIM) and a Universal Subscriber Identity Module(USIM). In the example shown, a SIM/RUIM/USIM 126 is to be inserted intoa SIM/RUIM/USIM interface 128 in order to communicate with a network.Without the component 126, the mobile device 10 is not fully operationalfor communication with the wireless network 20. Once the SIM/RUIM/USIM126 is inserted into the SIM/RUIM/USIM interface 128, it is coupled tothe main processor 102.

The mobile device 10 is typically a battery-powered device and in thisexample includes a battery interface 132 for receiving one or morerechargeable batteries 130. In at least some example embodiments, thebattery 130 can be a smart battery with an embedded microprocessor. Thebattery interface 132 is coupled to a regulator (not shown), whichassists the battery 130 in providing power V+ to the mobile device 10.Although current technology makes use of a battery, future technologiessuch as micro fuel cells may provide the power to the mobile device 10.

The mobile device 10 also includes an operating system 134 and softwarecomponents 136 to 146 which are described in more detail below. Theoperating system 134 and the software components 136 to 146 that areexecuted by the main processor 102 are typically stored in a persistentstore such as the flash memory 108, which may alternatively be aread-only memory (ROM) or similar storage element (not shown). Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that portions of the operating system134 and the software components 136 to 146, such as specific deviceapplications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into avolatile store such as the RAM 106. Other software components can alsobe included, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

The subset of software applications 136 that control basic deviceoperations, including data and voice communication applications, may beinstalled on the mobile device 10 during its manufacture. Softwareapplications may include a message application 138, a device statemodule 140, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) 142, a connect module144 and an IT policy module 146. A message application 138 can be anysuitable software program that allows a user of the mobile device 10 tosend and receive electronic messages, wherein messages are typicallystored in the flash memory 108 of the mobile device 10. A device statemodule 140 provides persistence, i.e. the device state module 140ensures that important device data is stored in persistent memory, suchas the flash memory 108, so that the data is not lost when the mobiledevice 10 is turned off or loses power. A PIM 142 includes functionalityfor organizing and managing data items of interest to the user, such as,but not limited to, e-mail, text messages, instant messages, contacts,calendar events, and voice mails, and may interact with the wirelessnetwork 20. A connect module 144 implements the communication protocolsthat are required for the mobile device 10 to communicate with thewireless infrastructure and any host system 25, such as an enterprisesystem, that the mobile device 10 is authorized to interface with. An ITpolicy module 146 receives IT policy data that encodes the IT policy,and may be responsible for organizing and securing rules such as the“Set Maximum Password Attempts” IT policy.

Other types of software applications or components 139 can also beinstalled on the mobile device 10. These software applications 139 canbe pre-installed applications (i.e. other than message application 138)or third party applications, which are added after the manufacture ofthe mobile device 10. Examples of third party applications includegames, calculators, utilities, etc. The additional applications 139 canbe loaded onto the mobile device 10 through at least one of the wirelessnetwork 20, the auxiliary I/O subsystem 112, the data port 114, theshort-range communications subsystem 122, or any other suitable devicesubsystem 124.

The data port 114 can be any suitable port that enables datacommunication between the mobile device 10 and another computing device.The data port 114 can be a serial or a parallel port. In some instances,the data port 114 can be a USB port that includes data lines for datatransfer and a supply line that can provide a charging current to chargethe battery 130 of the mobile device 10.

For voice communications, received signals are output to the speaker118, and signals for transmission are generated by the microphone 120.Although voice or audio signal output is accomplished primarily throughthe speaker 118, the display 110 can also be used to provide additionalinformation such as the identity of a calling party, duration of a voicecall, or other voice call related information.

The main processor 102 can also control a backlight 36 for conservingbattery life when the mobile device 10 is locked or otherwise not in use(e.g. in a holster). The backlight 36 can be used to illuminate thedisplay 110 when the mobile device 10 is being used. The backlight 36can be associated with an idle timer 34 such that an idle time can betracked and if it reaches or exceeds a certain predetermined threshold(or user definable threshold), the backlight 36 is turned off. As willbe explained below, the idle timer 34 can also be used to provide acurrent idle time to the main processor 102 for other uses such as todetermine inactivity of the user. The main processor 102 may alsoutilize data provided by a motion sensor such as an accelerometer,magnetometer or gyroscope.

For composing data items, such as e-mail messages, for example, a useror subscriber could use a touch-sensitive overlay (not shown) on thedisplay 110 that is part of a touch screen display (not shown), inaddition to possibly the auxiliary I/O subsystem 112. The auxiliary I/Osubsystem 112 may include devices such as: a mouse, track ball, infraredfingerprint detector, or a roller wheel with dynamic button pressingcapability. A composed item may be transmitted over the wireless network20 through the communication subsystem 104.

FIG. 2B shows the mobile device 10 of FIG. 2A in communication with acommunication headset 11. The communication headset 11 is worn by theuser and includes a microphone and a speaker. Typically, the headset 11can be worn in order to avoid having to hold the mobile device 10adjacent to the user's ear. When in communication with the mobile device10, the communication headset 11 serves to replace the microphone 120and speaker 118 of the mobile device 10.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the other software applications andcomponents 139 that may be stored on and used with the mobile device 10.Only examples are shown in FIG. 3 and such examples are not to beconsidered exhaustive. In this example, a calendar application 40,instant message application 50, an automatic call answering application52, a phone application 54, an address book 56 and a profilesapplication 58 are shown to illustrate the various features that may beprovided by the mobile device 10. These applications can accessinformation stored on the mobile device, e.g. appointments 49, hostbuddy list 30, auto-answer rules and settings 32, ringtones 55, andcontacts 34. Also shown in FIG. 3 is the message application 138, whichin the following will be referred to as an email application 138 forclarity and stores or otherwise has access to a message database 36 forstoring incoming and outgoing messages as well as those stored invarious folders. It will be appreciated that the various applicationsmay operate independently or may utilize features of other applications.For example, the phone application 54 and email application 138 may usethe address book 56 for contact details obtained from a list of contacts34.

Other example software applications and components include the automaticanswering for call application 52 (also referred to as the auto-answerapplication 52), which can be used with the phone application 54 andother applications (e.g. address book 56, profiles 58 and calendar 48).For example, the auto-answer 52 can access the calendar appointments 49,the phone's ringtones 55, or the address book's contacts 34. Suchinformation can be used to activate certain auto-answer rules andsettings 32 associated with the auto-answer application 52.

It will be appreciated that any application or module exemplified hereinmay include or otherwise have access to computer readable media such asstorage media, computer storage media, or data storage devices(removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks,optical disks, or tape. Computer storage media may include volatile andnon-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information, such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data,except transitory propagating signals per se. Examples of computerstorage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other opticalstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used tostore the desired information and which can be accessed by anapplication, module, or both. Any such computer storage media may bepart of the mobile device 10 or any other communication device, oraccessible or connectable thereto. Any application or module hereindescribed may be implemented using computer readable/executableinstructions that may be stored or otherwise held by such computerreadable media.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram of the mobile device 10automatically answering a call. An incoming call to the mobile device 10is first detected 210 by the phone application 54. The auto-answerfeature in the phone application 54 then automatically answers the call212, putting the recipient of the call (e.g. the user of the mobiledevice 10) in communication with the caller. In other words, the userdoes not need to perform any action for the mobile device 10 toautomatically answer the call.

Referring to FIG. 5, it is often useful for the user to be provided witha period of time to prepare for answering the call. Here, the mobiledevice 10 detects the call 214 then provides an indication that it hasdetected an incoming call 216. Indications, as disclosed herein, caninclude for example a physical indication (such as a vibration through avibration mechanism of mobile device 10), an audible indication (such asa ringtone, chirp or beep) through speaker 118 of mobile device 10, avisual indication (such as a flash of indicator LED 123 of mobile device10 or a flash of indicator LED 123 in a predetermined colour, or amessage such as “incoming call”, “auto-answer enabled” or “auto-answerdisabled” displayed on display 110 of mobile device 10, or anycombination, repetition or pattern of these indications). Once thedevice 10 provides an indication that an incoming call is detected 216,the device 10 waits for a period of time 217 to provide the user with anopportunity to prepare for the call. For instance, the user may wish touse this time to reduce the ambient noise in preparation for the call.The indication 216 may also be provided continuously or repetitivelythroughout the waiting period 217 until the call is automaticallyanswered 218. It will be appreciate that the pre-determined period oftime could be measured in seconds or be characterized by a number ofringtones. Providing the recipient with an indication or warning that acall has been detected could serve to capture the recipient's attentionfrom his other activities or conversations and allow him to prepare toanswer.

It is recognized that if the mobile device 10 is left unattended or ifthe user is not aware that the device has received a call, the automaticanswering of a call presents a problem. If the mobile device 10 isautomatically answered without the presence of the recipient, the callermay be confused or the device could be left in conversation until theremote party ends the conversation. Furthermore, should the recipient ofthe call fail to realize that the device has auto answered a call, aconversation or other private sounds could be heard by the remote devicewithout the recipient's knowledge. Additionally, a user may use theauto-answer feature to eavesdrop. For example, a user can place theirmobile device 10 in a room and later on call the mobile device 10 (whichwill be automatically answered) to listen in on a phone conversation inthe room.

Turning to FIG. 6, example computer executable instructions are providedto mitigate these effects. Similar to FIG. 4, the call is detected 220then automatically connected 222. However, another step 224 is providedwhereby the mobile device 10 determines whether the microphone 120detects sound on the recipient's mobile device 10. If the mobile device10 detects sound, the connection is maintained 228. If the devicedetects no sound over the microphone 120, for example, over apre-determined period of time, the call is ended 226. The mobile device10 may analyze the sound to determine whether it was made by a humanvoice or corresponds to a sound level (e.g. measured in decibels) orboth. For example, the sound level threshold is determined by anexpected sound level consistent with talking in proximity to themicrophone 120. The analysis of the sound is used to determine if aconversation is occurring away from the mobile device 10, and, if so,ending or disconnecting the call. By way of example, the analysis ofsound to determine whether voice, and not merely background noise, ispresent can be achieved using a band pass filter which determineswhether the sounds are within the 80 Hz to 8000 Hz that is typical ofthe human voice, be above a certain threshold in amplitude, and have aduration of greater than a few hundred milliseconds. Other algorithmsthat detect human voice could also be used.

Referring now to FIG. 7, which includes certain features of those shownin FIG. 6, a further method to disable the automatic answering featureis provided. In this method, if the connection is established then endedaccording to the method of FIG. 6, the mobile device 10 would count thisas an automatically ended call. If a pre-determined number ofautomatically ended calls are counted 242, for example three calls, theautomatic answering feature is disabled 244. This prevents the device 10from answering a large number of calls in the user's absence and insteadenables future calls to go to voicemail. This can reduce the frustrationof the callers, reduce the depletion in the user's battery fromconnecting calls without the recipient being present and allow thecallers to leave voicemail instead of a missed call. Further, this canalso be used to prevent the mobile device 10 from repeatedlyestablishing a connection with a caller, thereby reducing the risk thatthe caller may overhear elements of a conversation or other personalsounds.

Continuing to FIG. 7, if the number of consecutive ended calls is lessthan the predetermined threshold number, then the auto-answering featureis maintained 240. Therefore, as shown by dotted line 243, should therebe future incoming calls detected 220 the mobile device 10 willautomatically connect to the incoming call 222.

It can be appreciated that the disabling of the automatic answeringfeature as shown in FIG. 7 may also be contact specific and such as forexample may disable the automatic answering feature for particularcontacts. For example, if an incoming call from Contact A is detected,the call is automatically connected, and then the call is automaticallydisconnected (e.g. because sound or voice was not detected in themicrophone 120), then the mobile device 10 could disable the automaticanswering feature for contact A specifically but allow the auto-answerfeature to remain enabled for other contacts. The same principles may beapplied to a group of contacts, for instance, unknown callers.

In another example embodiment, if the call is automatically disconnectedor if the auto-answer feature is enabled or disabled, a user's presencestatus can be automatically modified accordingly. By way of example, thepresence status of an instant messaging system 50 could be changed from“available” to “away” when the call is automatically disconnected.

After the automatic answering feature has been disabled because no voicewas detected after answering a pre-determined number of incoming calls,the mobile device 10 could provide an indication to the user using thedisplay 110 that the automatic answering feature is no longer enabled(e.g. displaying “3 Auto-answered calls disconnected. Auto-answerdisabled”). This indication may also include an option to re-enable theautomatic answering feature as a way to prompt the user to re-enable theautomatic answering feature (e.g. displaying “3 Auto-answered callsdisconnected. Auto-answer disabled. Click here to re-enable.”). In thecase where the mobile device 10 disables the automatic answering featurefor a particular contact or a group of contacts, the indication andoption to re-enable the automatic answering feature would apply to justthe contacts affected. By way of example, if the automatic answeringfeature was disabled, the indication could include a button on thedisplay 110 that re-enables the automatic answering feature onceselected by the user.

In some circumstances, it may be useful to answer calls only when ahands-free communications headset 11 or an in-vehicle speakerphone isconnected to the mobile device 10. FIG. 8 shows a method whereby a callis automatically answered only if the mobile device 10 detects aconnected headset 11. The mobile device 10 detects an incoming call 260,then determines whether a communications headset 11 is connected 262. Ifa headset 11 is connected, the call is automatically connected 264.Conversely, if no headset 11 is detected, the mobile device 10 requiresuser input before connecting the call. For example, the device 10provides an indication that the call is detected 266, then determineswhether the user manually answers the call 268. If the user answers thecall, the call is connected 272. If the user does not answer the call,the call is not connected and may be sent to voicemail 270. It can beappreciated that the headset 11 may be connected by several meansincluding through a wired connection, a wireless connection such asBluetooth™ or another means. A popular type of headset 11 is theBluetooth headset. The method of FIG. 8 can be used to reduce the numberof calls that are automatically answered when the recipient is notpresent, as the recipient is typically present when a Bluetooth deviceor an in-vehicle speakerphone, or both are enabled. In some instances,this may also prevent other users from hearing the incoming portion ofthe conversation and affords the members of the conversation somemeasure of privacy. Further, in the case of the communications headset11, the feature of FIG. 6 that automatically maintains a connection fora call upon detecting a sound will be less likely to be activated fromambient noise. In other words, if there is ambient noise, such noisewill less likely be detected by a headset 11.

For users who are able to answer calls in a conventional manner in somesettings but would rather that the mobile device 10 automatically answercalls in other situations, an option is provided to selectively enablethe automatic answering feature. Turning to FIG. 9, examples ofdifferent settings or rules under which a call is automatically answeredare provided in the “In-call settings” screen 246. Options for when toautomatically answer calls are provided on a drop-down list. Theseoptions include “Never” 250, “Out of Holster” 252, “Slide Open” 254, and“Both” 256. The “Never” option 250 is a method including detecting anincoming call and upon detection of the call, not automaticallyanswering the call. The “Out of Holster” option 252 includes detectingan incoming call, determining if the device 10 is in the holster and, ifnot, automatically answering the incoming call. It can be appreciated aholster holds the mobile device 10, and the mobile device has sensors(e.g. electro-magnetic sensors) for detecting whether it is in theholster or not. Another option may also be provided to automaticallyanswer a call when the device is in the holster. This option wouldinclude detecting an incoming call, detecting whether the device 10 isin the holster and, if so, automatically answering the incoming call.The “Slide Open” option 254, applicable to mobile devices that can slidebetween an open and closed state, may include detecting an incomingcall, determining whether the device 10 is slid open and if so,automatically answering the call. The “Slide Open” option 254 may alsoinclude detecting an incoming call, indicating to the user that anincoming call has been detected, waiting for a pre-determined period oftime, during which the call is answered if the device 10 is slid open bythe user. The options further include the “Both” option 256, which, byway of example, may include detecting an incoming call, determiningwhether the device 10 is in the holster and determining whether thedevice 10 is slid open, and if both conditions are met, automaticallyanswering the call. In another example embodiment of the “Both” option256, it also includes determining whether the device 10 is in theholster and determining whether the device 10 is slid open and, if thedevice 10 is not in the holster and not slid open, automaticallyanswering the incoming call. The options on the drop-down list 258 alsoinclude the “Auto Answer Calls” setting which programs the mobile device10 to automatically answer the call “After 5 seconds (Bluetooth™/HeadsetOnly)”.

FIG. 10 shows the “Auto Answer Calls” setting 248 with “After 5 seconds(Bluetooth™/Headset Only)” 258 selected by the user. With this optionenabled, the mobile device 10 will detect a call and indicate to theuser that the call has been detected. In the example option selected inFIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the mobile device 10 detects a call, detects whethera communication headset 11 is connected and if so, alerts the user viaan indication for a period of about five seconds then automaticallyconnects the call. If no communication headset 11 is connected, themobile device 10 may still alert the user but require confirmation fromthe call recipient before making the connection.

Turning to FIG. 11, it may be useful to provide the user with the optionof overriding the use of a communications headset 11 that is incommunication with the mobile device 10. If the user is unable to reachthe communication headset 11 during an incoming call, the user may optto communicate using mobile device 10 (e.g. using speaker 118 andmicrophone 120). For instance, a user who has dropped a Bluetooth™communication headset 11 between the seats of a vehicle and is unable toreach the headset 11 in time to receive the incoming call may activate abutton on the display 110 or on the keyboard 116 of the mobile device 10to route the call through the speaker 118 and microphone 120 in lieu ofthe headset 11.

In the method of FIG. 11, the mobile device 10 first detects a call 274then determines whether a headset 11 is connected 276. If the headset 11is connected, the mobile device 10 indicates to the user (by a physical,audible and/or visual indication) that the call has been detected 277and waits for a pre-determined period of time 278. During this time, theuser is provided with an option 279 to override the use of the headset11. The user may also be provided with a ringtone. If, during this time,the user overrides the use of the headset 11 (e.g. through a button onthe display 110 or on the keyboard 116), the mobile device 10 willabandon the use of the headset 11 for the duration of the call andcommunicate directly through the device 10 (e.g. through the speaker 118and microphone 120) 281. Conversely, if the user does not respond duringthis pre-determined period of time, the call is connected 280 throughthe headset 11. If, after detecting the incoming call, the mobile device10 determines that the headset 11 is not connected, the device 10 canproceed with the manual procedure for answering a call, which providesthe user with an indication 282 (which may be a physical, audible and/orvisual indication) and requires user intervention between detection ofthe call and connection of the call. In this case, if the headset 11 isdisconnected, the mobile device 10 indicates to the user that there isan incoming call 282. The device 10 determines whether the user hasmanually intervened to answer the call 284 and, if so, connects the call288. In the absence of user intervention, the incoming call is notconnected and may be sent to voicemail 286.

It may be desirable to provide the recipient with an indication that theautomatic answering system is engaged once the mobile device 10 receivesthe call. For example, this indication could be provided immediatelyafter the mobile device 10 detects a call and before a ringtone isplayed. The indication would inform the recipient that a call isincoming and that the automatic answering feature will answer the call,obviating the need for the recipient to intervene should he wish to beplaced in contact with the caller.

FIG. 12 is a representation of a method of automatically answering acall. Once the call is detected 302, an indication is provided to informthe user (in the form of a physical, audible and/or visual indication)that a call has been detected and that the automatic answering featureis enabled 304, providing the recipient with a period of time 306between the detection of the call 302 and the automatic connection ofthe call 308. The time allows a period in which the user can move nearto the mobile device 10 if the device 10 is not nearby the user. Oncethe call is connected, the mobile device 10 monitors recipient's sidefor sound (e.g. using microphone 120), or specific sounds such as voice,to determine whether the user is present on the call 310. If a soundsignal is not detected over a pre-determined amount of time, the call isended 314. Otherwise, if the sound is detected, the connection ismaintained 312.

The indication at 304 of FIG. 12 can include a distinct audibleindication prior to initiating the ringtone, as best seen in FIG. 13.Similarly to FIG. 12, the call is detected 316, an audible indication isprovided to inform the user that the call has been detected and theauto-answer feature is engaged 318. The audible indication may includeany sound that is different from the ringtone, for instance a chirp or abeep. The ringtone is then played for a pre-determined period of time320 then the call is automatically answered 322. It is then determinedif a specific sound such as voice is detected over the microphone 120(324). If so, the connection is maintained 328, otherwise, the call isended 326.

In an example embodiment, the indication includes a visual indicationthat is provided concurrently with the ringtone. In another exampleembodiment, the indication includes a ringtone that distinctly indicatesthat the auto-answer feature is enabled or disabled, and such ringtoneindicator is distinct from the conventional ringtone that plays when anincoming call is detected. The indication could also include a vibrationor a visual indication via means other than the display 110, such as theindicator light 123. The indicator light 123 could be illuminated in adifferent colour or be illuminated solidly or intermittently todifferentiate the indication from a typical indication of when theautomatic answering feature is disabled.

The presence of the automatic call answering feature raises new issueswith respect to a user knowing whether manual intervention is requiredfor the call to be connected. For instance, if a user is unaware of thestatus of the setting, the user may expect the automatic answeringfeature to connect the call and consequently, the user could miss thecall. To address this, an example method is proposed in FIG. 14 thatalerts a user that a call has been detected, but the automatic answeringfeature is not enabled. Once the incoming call is detected 330, themobile device 10 provides the user with an indication that the call hasbeen detected 332. If the user has not responded to the indication thata call is incoming, the mobile device 10 provides an alert that theautomatic answering feature is not enabled and that user intervention isrequired to connect the call 334. The ringtone continues 336 and with atraditional telephone call, if the user does not intervene during theringing period, the call will be missed and the call is forwarded tovoicemail 338. If the user manually intervenes to answer the incomingcall, the call is connected 340. The alert that the automatic answeringfeature is not enabled could include any indication that is distinctfrom the indication given to notify a user that the automatic answeringfeature is enabled.

Turning to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, which illustrate an example of anindication that is provided to the user upon detection of a call whenthe auto-answer feature is engaged. As is best seen from the flowdiagram of FIG. 15, first, the mobile device 10 detects the call 342.The mobile device 10 then provides the user with a visual indication344, followed by an audible tone 346, a ringtone 348, and then connectsthe incoming call 350. The visual indication 344 could include and amessage on the display 110 as well as illumination of the indicatorlight 123. An example of the message displayed on the display 110 isprovided in FIG. 16. The visual indication may continue until the callis connected, until the caller aborts the call or until the usermanually rejects the call. The example message includes a component thatexplicitly indicates that the automatic answering feature is engaged 352and a component that indicates the time until the incoming call isconnected 354. An audible tone 346 that indicates that the automaticanswering feature is enabled can be played through the speaker 118 oranother speaker located elsewhere on the mobile device 10. The audibletone could include a ringtone that is distinct from the ringtoneprovided if the auto-answer feature is disabled that replaces theauto-answer disabled ringtone. If the audible tone includes a short tonethat is played before the auto-answer disabled ringtone, the ringtonecan then be played 348 until the call is automatically connected 350, oruntil the user rejects the call or the caller aborts the call. Once thecall is connected, the call may be ended if no voice is detected, asillustrated above.

The example mobile device 10 in FIG. 16 includes a speaker 118, anindicator light 123, a keyboard 116 and a display 110. The display 110is providing the user with a message that the auto-answer is engaged 352and the amount of time until the mobile device answers the call 354. Thekeyboard 116 includes the manual connection 351 and disconnection 353keys can be used to manually answer the call or end the call prior tothe call being connected. The disconnection key can also be used todisconnect calls that have been connected via the automatic answeringfeature or through any other means.

Referring to FIG. 17, which illustrates a method whereby the mobiledevice 10 detects a call 360, indicates to the user that the call isincoming and the automatic answering feature is activated 362, plays aringtone 364 and an option is provided for the user to override theautomatic answering feature while the ringtone is playing 366. Once theuser overrides the automatic answering feature, it is determined if theuse manually answers the call 370. For example, the user may wish toallow the call to be missed and go to voicemail 372 or manually answerthe call, whereby the call would be connected 368. The system couldoptionally disable the automatic answering feature for future calls ifthe user decides to disable the automatic answering feature or overridethe automatic answering feature for only the call at hand. For instance,this could be utilized for overriding the automatic answering featureduring an incoming call if the recipient is currently in a call withanother party. FIG. 18 shows the mobile device 10 of FIG. 16 with anadditional option 374 on the display 110 labelled “Override”, whichdisables the automatic answering feature 366 as discussed above.

In order to have the automatic answering feature enabled when thefunction is useful to the user and disabled when the function is of novalue to the user, a method of selectively enabling an auto-answerfeature on the mobile device 10 according to a user-selectable profileis provided. Using a method that includes a set of rules dictating whento automatically answer a call and when to disable the automaticanswering feature, the automatic answering feature can answer calls onlyunder conditions where it is likely that the automatic answering featureis desirable. To accomplish this, the mobile device 10 receives inputdata, operates on the raw data and compares the result to a set ofestablished rules that can optionally be modified by a user. If the ruleis satisfied, the mobile device 10 modifies the state of the automaticanswering feature according to the rule. If the rule is not met, themobile device 10 leaves the settings untouched.

For example, a person with a disability may wish to always have theautomatic answering feature enabled, as answering a call usingconventional means may be difficult at all times. A person who is usingthe automatic answering feature while driving may wish to enable theautomatic answering feature only when the mobile device 10 detects thatthe user is moving at a velocity greater than a certain threshold. Byway of example, the mobile device 10 may calculate the three minutemoving average and activate the automatic answering feature only whenthe three minute moving average has exceeded a certain threshold, andsimilarly deactivate the automatic answering feature only when the threeminute moving average has decreased to below a certain threshold.

As is best seen in FIG. 19, the mobile device 10 calculates its velocityby accessing real-time GPS data through the GPS receiver 121. If theuser has selected to enable the auto-answer feature while driving 376,the mobile device 10 records real-time GPS data 378, which is used tocalculate the velocity 380, which, in turn, can be used to calculate themoving average 382 or some other metric which can be compared to athreshold set in a rule. If the minimum velocity threshold is met 384,the automatic answering feature is enabled 386. If this minimum velocitythreshold has not been met, the automatic answering feature is disabled388. In either case, the mobile device 10 continually monitors itsvelocity to determine whether to switch the state of the mobile device.The intervals at which the mobile device 10 receives its GPS coordinatescan vary based on the recent data. For example, if the mobile device 10begins to detect large changes in velocity, the GPS coordinates could befetched at a greater frequency whereas if the mobile device detects nochange in its velocity, the GPS coordinates could be fetched withreduced frequency to conserve battery power.

Another rule that may be set to determine whether the automaticanswering feature should be enabled or disabled a rule based on motionsensor readings. For instance, readings that come from an accelerometer,magnetometer, gyroscope, or any combination thereof may be used todetermine whether the device is in motion or whether the device isstationary. A user can optionally set a mobile device 10 that isdetected to be in motion based on the sensor data to automaticallyanswer calls whereas a device that is stationary would not automaticallyanswer calls. For example, the method may be useful for a user whowishes the automatic answering feature to answer calls while the mobiledevice 10 is on their person but not when the mobile device is left in astationary location. Turning to FIG. 20, which is a method flow diagramoutlining a method by which the automatic answering feature is enabledif the motion sensors have detected recent movement. First, the useractivates the setting on the motion-activated automatic answeringfeature 390. The motion sensors 37 then collect and record data at apre-determined or varying interval similar to the GPS data collection392. The motion sensor data is then used to calculate a pre-determinedmetric that indicates the degree to which the device is moving 394. Thismetric can include historical averages such as a 10 second movingaverage 396. The metric is then compared to a threshold 398. If themotion metric does not exceed the threshold, the automatic answerfeature is disabled 402; conversely if the motion metric does exceed thethreshold, the automatic answer feature is enabled 400. Similarly to theGPS readings, the sampling frequency of the motion sensors 37 can varyto conserve battery power.

FIG. 21 shows a method for selectively enabling the automatic answeringfeature based on the location of the mobile device 10. The user canselect locations where the automatic answering feature is enabled 410and other locations where the automatic answering feature is disabled412. These locations could be, by way of example, within 100 meters ofthe user's home and within 300 meters of the user's workplace.Alternately, the location could include a route or a general area. Anexample user profile could disable automatic answering within 100 metersof the user's home, within 300 meters of the user's workplace, but foreverywhere else in the user's city and for major highways in the user'scountry, the automatic answer feature would be enabled. The locationsand their associated automatic answering settings are stored in alocation-based rules database 414. In operation, the user can enable thelocation-based automatic answering feature 404, which will proceed bydetermining the location of the mobile device 406. The location could bedetermined using mobile phone tracking, GPS coordinates or through anyother method. The next step 408, has the mobile device 10 determinewhether the location of the user fits a rule stored in the database 416.If a rule is satisfied, the automatic answering feature is alteredaccording to the rule 418. If no rule is satisfied, the device does notalter the automatic answering status 420.

Since the automatic answering feature could interrupt the user in heractivities, it may not be desirable for the mobile device 10 toautomatically answer every incoming call. To this end, a flow diagram ispresented in FIG. 22 that shows the method by which a user can specifywhether the call should be automatically answered depending on thecaller. The user may select a contact or a group of contacts for whomthe automatic answering feature is enabled and the user may also selecta contact or a group of contacts for whom the automatic answeringfeature is disabled 426. One group of contacts may include unknowncallers and another group may include all callers not explicitly listedunder other rules. These rules are stored in database 428. When themobile device detects an incoming call 422, the mobile device 10compares the caller ID to the rules in the database 428 to determinewhether a rule exists for the contact making the incoming call 424. Ifthe caller satisfies a rule enabling the automatic answering feature,the incoming call is automatically answered 432. Conversely, if thecaller satisfies a rule disabling the automatic answering feature, theincoming call is not automatically answered 440. For instance, a usermay set the automatic answering feature to enabled for family membersbut disabled for unknown callers.

The automatic answering feature may be enabled only when the mobiledevice 10 is not currently in use. Presumably, if the mobile device 10is in use, for instance playing a video or browsing the web through thenetwork 200, the user has the ability to manually answer incoming calls.Typically, to conserve battery power, the mobile device 10 can enter astandby mode that dims or switches off the display 110 and other selectfunctions. To this end, the mobile device 10 could enable the automaticanswering feature only while the mobile device 10 is in standby mode.Alternatively, if the mobile device 10 is set to automatically answercalls if the device is not in standby mode, the device could pausevideos, music and mute other device sounds to allow the user to moreeasily receive indications of the incoming call as discussed above.

The user may also wish to selectively enable the automatic answeringfeature depending on the user's presence status. For instance, if theuser has set their presence status to “away”, the user may not wish themobile device 10 to automatically connect an incoming call.Alternatively, if the user sets their presence status to “available” or“driving”, the user may wish to have the call automatically answered.Another method to adjust the user's presence status is through acalendar appointment 29. For instance, during a calendar appointment, auser's status may be automatically switched to “busy”. The user'scalendar information may also directly affect whether the automaticanswering feature is enabled independently from the user's presencestatus.

FIG. 23 is a method flow diagram outlining the rules under which theautomatic answering feature is enabled depending on calendarappointments 29 in the mobile device 10. First, the user selects anoption to selectively enable the automatic answering feature dependingon rules for calendar appointments 450. When the mobile device 10detects an incoming call 452, it determines whether the user iscurrently scheduled in an appointment 454. If the user is scheduled inan appointment, the automatic answering feature may be disabled 468.Alternatively, depending on the user's settings, the automatic answeringfeature could be enabled 460 based on the appointment 29. The user mayflag certain appointments 29 or appointments with certain contacts 29 toselectively enable the automatic answering feature depending on theuser's settings.

One implication of having an automatic answering feature is thatadditional charges may apply if the mobile device 10 is on a network 200that is out of its home area, which is known to those familiar in theart as roaming. As illustrated in FIG. 24, to mitigate the chargesassociated with automatic answering while roaming, the user is providedwith an option of disabling the automatic answering feature while themobile device 10 is roaming 478. This option works by first detecting anincoming call 480 then determining whether the mobile phone is in itshome area 482. This can be done with GPS data or information from themobile device carrier that is received over the network 200. If thedevice is roaming, the automatic answering feature will be disabled 494and the user will be required to manually intervene to answer the call.Conversely, if the device is not roaming, the automatic answeringfeature will be enabled 486 and the mobile device 10 automaticallyanswers the incoming call.

Automatically answering a call can be problematic if the user is alreadyon a call. To address this, the automatic answering feature could beenabled only when the user is not already on a call on the mobile device10. To avoid the user being removed from his current call, the mobiledevice 10 detects the call 506 and then determines if the user isalready on a call 508, as shown in the method flow diagram of FIG. 25.If the user is not on a call 508, the automatic answering featureproceeds 520. If, however, the user is on a call, a visual indication isprovided along with a button to manually switch calls 510. The Adiscreet call waiting audible signal 512 can also be played to alert therecipient of the incoming call. The user can decide 514 to switch calls516 or stay in the current call and let the incoming call go tovoicemail 518. If the user is unable to press the button to changecalls, the call can be sent to voicemail 518.

It can therefore be appreciated, that in general, the methods hereininclude a method for answering a call on a communication device 10, themethod performed on a communication device including detecting anincoming call; automatically answering the incoming call; detectingwhether an audio signal is received; and, if not, disconnecting thecall. In another aspect, the audio signal includes voice. In anotheraspect, the audio signal exceeds a pre-determined threshold. In anotheraspect, if a pre-determined number of calls are disconnected, theauto-answer feature is disabled for future calls. In another aspect,upon the auto-answer feature being disabled, the communication deviceprovides an option to re-enable the auto-answer feature. In anotheraspect, the communication device indicates to the user whether theauto-answer feature is enabled upon detecting an incoming call. Inanother aspect, the communication device alerts the user if theauto-answer feature is disabled upon detecting an incoming call. Inanother aspect, upon detecting an incoming call, determining if acommunication headset is in communication with the device and, if so,automatically answering the incoming call. In another aspect, an optionis provided to override the auto-answer feature once the communicationdevice detects the call. In another aspect, the method further includesthe communication device determining if another call is already inprogress, and if not, automatically answering the call.

The steps or operations in the flow diagrams described herein are justfor example. There may be many variations to these steps or operationswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, thesteps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added,deleted, or modified.

It can also be appreciated that the displays or screens described hereinare just for example. There may be many variations to the configurationand arrangement of information and user interface controls withoutdeparting from the scope of the above principles. For instance, theinformation and the user interface controls may be in a differing order,or may be added, deleted, or modified.

Although the above has been described with reference to certain specificexample embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for answering an incoming callperformed by a communication device comprising: detecting the incomingcall; automatically answering the incoming call; detecting whether anaudio signal is received by the communication device; if not,disconnecting the incoming call; incrementing a number of consecutivecalls that were automatically answered and disconnected when no audiosignal was received by the communication device; and when the numberequals a pre-determined number, disabling auto-answerinq.
 2. The methodof claim 1 wherein the audio signal comprises voice.
 3. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the audio signal exceeds a pre-determined threshold. 4.The method of claim 1 wherein, after the auto-answering is disabled, thecommunication device provides an option to re-enable the auto-answering.5. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication device indicates tothe user whether the auto-answering is enabled after detecting theincoming call.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication devicealerts the user if the auto-answering is disabled after detecting theincoming call.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising afterdetecting the incoming call, determining if a communication headset isin communication with the communication device and, if so, automaticallyanswering the incoming call.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein an optionis provided to override the auto-answering after the communicationdevice detects the incoming call.
 9. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising the communication device determining if another call isalready in progress, and if not, automatically answering the incomingcall.
 10. A non-transitory computer readable medium for answering anincoming call on a communication device, the computer readable mediumcomprising computer executable instructions, the computer executableinstructions comprising: detecting the incoming call; automaticallyanswering the incoming call; detecting whether an audio signal isreceived by the communication device; if not, disconnecting the incomingcall; incrementing a number of consecutive calls that were automaticallyanswered and disconnected when no audio signal was received by thecommunication device; and when the number equals a pre-determinednumber, disabling auto-answering.
 11. A communication device comprisinga processor, means to connect to a communication network, one or moreaudio input mechanisms and a memory, the memory comprising computerexecutable instructions for: detecting an incoming call; automaticallyanswering the incoming call; detecting whether an audio signal isreceived by the communication device; if not, disconnecting the incomingcall; incrementing a number of consecutive calls that were automaticallyanswered and disconnected when no audio signal was received by thecommunication device; and when the number equals a pre-determinednumber, disabling auto-answerinq.
 12. The communication device of claim11 further comprising instructions for determining whether the audiosignal comprises voice and if not, disconnecting the incoming call. 13.The communication device of claim 11 further comprising instructions fordetermining whether the audio signal exceeds a pre-determined threshold.14. The communication device of claim 11 wherein, after theauto-answering is disabled, the communication device provides an optionto re-enable the auto-answering.
 15. The communication device of claim11 further comprising instructions for indicating to the user whetherthe auto-answering is enabled after detecting the incoming call.
 16. Thecommunication device of claim 11 further comprising instructions foralerting the user if the auto-answering is disabled after detecting theincoming call.
 17. The communication device of claim 11 furthercomprising instructions for detecting the incoming call, determining ifa communication headset is in communication with the communicationdevice and, if so, automatically answering the incoming call.
 18. Thecommunication device of claim 11 further comprising instructions forproviding the user with an option to override the auto-answering afterthe communication device detects the incoming call.
 19. Thecommunication device of claim 11 further comprising the communicationdevice determining if another call is already in progress, and if not,automatically answering the incoming call.